Atonement
by Seizure-On-Demand
Summary: Lolli was only a lowly castle servant, and she and the rest of Sugar Rush had silently watched their king torture a nine-year old girl for years. But now that order has been restored in the kingdom, they have a chance to redeem themselves, and prove to Vanellope von Schweetz that they're not the heartless monsters Turbo forced them to be.


I really have nothing to say except that this idea came right the fuck out of nowhere. Ding dong, the Turbo is dead!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Wreck-It Ralph.

* * *

**Chapter One: Flames to Ashes **

* * *

Lolli had always known that King Candy was mad and cruel, but she had never realized just how mad and cruel he was until after he was dead and gone. As a servant in his castle, she'd seen firsthand the sort of man he was when the day's races were over and he returned to the castle to terrorize them all with his disturbing, eccentric behaviour. Lolli was luckier than most. She was a chambermaid, and during her long years of service she could step outside with a basket full of wet laundry to hang up whenever her king's shrieking laughter became too much for her to bear. But sometimes that laughter had followed her all the way out to the cloth lines, and Lolli had trembled as she pinned up the bed sheets, table cloths, dinner napkins, and _his_ outfits.

But that unsettling laughter was gone now, and a child's ringing laughter had taken its place, filling the castle hallways with light and warmth. The child's clothes had found their way into the laundry baskets as well, replacing his. His clothes were burned after Vanellope von Schweetz had been restored to power in _Sugar Rush_, although not by her orders.

The domestic staff had revolted shortly after their memories were unlocked, but not against President Vanellope. Their anger was for the game-jumper who had brainwashed and used them all for years. Turbo was already dead, so the best they could do was storm through the castle to gather up everything that had been his, every piece of evidence of his false reign that the game's recent resetting hadn't erased. Sour Bill, once King Candy's most trusted lackey, showed the mob to the rooms in the back of the castle where King Candy's most treasured possessions were stored. When the little green ball unlocked the door with the key his former employer had given him, he was almost smiling.

The false king's hundreds of racing trophies were carted off to be melted down into coins, and the marble cake statues and paintings of his own despicable likeness were carried outside to be ceremoniously destroyed. Sour Bill himself led the raid, giving directions to the mob, his green eyes gleaming with pleasure as the rooms were stripped bare.

"Make you sure get _everything_," he ordered. "Take down the curtains too."

Lolli and another maid pulled down King Candy's prized velvet curtains, which were a rich royal purple color. The other maid crudely suggested to Sour Bill that they cut the curtains into strips to use as toilet paper, which earned her an amused little smile from the usually sour little man.

"Not a bad idea," he admitted. "But everything has to go _fast._ Everything has to burn, just like he did."

They went through the rest of the castle, emptying closets and drawers, searching everywhere for traces of him. President Vanellope was away, out on a game-hopping expedition with Wreck-It Ralph. She would be home soon, so they had to work quickly. They wanted to have a bonfire blazing by the time she returned, to present her with valid proof of their loyalty to her.

Lolli and the other maids filled basket after basket with King Candy's obnoxiously flamboyant clothes and carried them outside to dump onto the ever-growing pile of _things. _ An enormous crowd of citizens gathered where the bonfire would be lit and eagerly awaited the show. Word soon reached the racers, who drove home as fast as they could to collect all of the Christmas and _Sugar Rush_ anniversary presents that King Candy had given them over the years. Those presents had never been his to give, and no one wanted to keep them. Now his gifts would be given to the flames.

The racers arrived on the scene with their contributions, and only Taffyta Muttonfudge seemed a little reluctant to give up her presents. She had been King Candy's favourite and his gifts for her had been chosen with special care, but he was never really a king and it had been stolen bounty that he'd given her. Her fellow racers' insistent demands eventually made her give in, and she tossed her presents onto the pile. She even gave up the beautiful rock candy necklace he'd given her last Christmas, kissing it quickly before gently adding it to the pile, next to a statue of the dead usurper.

"We'll make you another one," Rancis told his fellow racer, in a poor attempt at comforting her. Taffyta said nothing.

Candle Head plucked her candle from her helmet and carefully lit the fire, which spread slowly but surely. The air soon became thick with the smell of burning sugar. Some of the citizens cheered, while others stood silently, absorbed in their memories of him, the man who had played them all for fools. Taffyta wept a little as the dead king's possessions and gifts were swallowed up by the flames, but no one paid much attention to her. Rancis Fluggerbutter rubbed her back soothingly, but kept his eyes locked on the fire.

Vanellope and Ralph returned to _Sugar Rush_ and saw the smoke rising on the horizon. Alarmed and shocked by the sight, they raced straight to the castle courtyard to find the little President's citizens gathered around a well-controlled bonfire, watching her predecessor's belongings burn.

"This game has only one rightful ruler, Little Miss," Lolli told Vanellope when the little girl demanded to know what was going on. "We all want to forget that we once had another."

At first Vanellope didn't know what to say or think. She was horrified that her citizens were setting fires while she was away, but at the same time she was overwhelmed by the symbolism of the act. Her people had never truly loved King Candy and this was their way of proving it to her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, which were rosy from the heat of the fire, and her giant friend gently lifted her onto one of his shoulders.

"Let's go find something to toss in, kid," he said, and the pair of friends disappeared into the castle for a few minutes. When they came back out, Ralph was carrying the royal throne chair in one hand.

"A President doesn't need a throne," Vanellope announced to the assembled crowd, and Ralph threw the chair into the fire, where it burned along with everything else. Her citizens cheered, for the end of tyrannical rule and for her.

Lolli stood with the other maids, watching the flames flicker while keeping her shawl wrapped tightly around her tiny lollipop body. The air was hot, but the chambermaid felt strangely cold. Perhaps it was the shock of everything that was making her cold. Not long ago she'd discovered that her game, her _home_, had been controlled by a power-hungry monster. Lolli, as well as the rest of _Sugar Rush_, had just let it happen. So many years had been wasted, dancing around like trained monkeys for _him_, and they couldn't fight back because they hadn't even realized what was happening.

When the fire died down and all that remained were ashes, everyone went home. Taffyta's tears dried up and she managed to give President Vanellope a small goodnight smile before climbing into her kart and driving off. The other racers were more generous, giving Vanellope a hug each before heading home as well. The servants got to work cleaning up the remains of the bonfire, and Ralph and Vanellope stayed and helped them.

"Well, what do you think, kid?" The Bad Guy asked her, scooping burned cake into a garbage bag with his hand. "Was this nice to come home to or what?"

Vanellope laughed. Ralph could always make her laugh about things she should cry about, and vice versa. When the courtyard was clean again, Ralph announced that he had to take his leave of the little President, who jumped right into his arms for a goodbye hug.

"Come back tomorrow," she whispered, burying her face in his shirt.

"Ga-_doy!_" Ralph cried, playfully mocking his little friend's favourite phrase. "Of course I'll come back tomorrow!"

Lolli couldn't help but smile as she watched Ralph kiss Vanellope's cheek and ruffle her hair before putting her back down on the ground. That child had needed a friend more than anyone else in the arcade, and fate had been kind enough to send her one. But Ralph couldn't be in _Sugar Rush_ all the time and the chambermaid knew from watching the President how sorely his absences were mourned.

Whenever he left her, Vanellope always went through a gloomy mood before her trademark cheeriness returned to her. Tonight was no exception. As she and her servants went back inside the castle, her child's face was glum.

Lolli went to her mistress's side. "He will be back tomorrow, Little Miss," the chambermaid reassured her.

"Tomorrow's too far away," Vanellope said sadly. She looked at her female servant, curving her lips into a little smile. "Lolli, would you mind coming with me to my office? I want to discuss something with you. Don't panic, it's not a bad thing!"

Lolli smiled. "I am yours to command."

Vanellope shook her hand. "No, not command. I don't do commands. I'm _asking_ you, not telling you."

"I will gladly go with you to your office, Little Miss," Lolli said. "Of my own free will."

"That's what I wanna hear!" Vanellope exclaimed, her cheeriness returning. She offered the chambermaid her arm. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Lolli happily slipped her arm through Vanellope's, and the two of them merrily skipped through the castle halls to Vanellope's Presidential office, bursting into giggles as they shut the door behind them.

* * *

**End of Chapter **

* * *

If Turbo left behind a pair of ruby slippers, the _Sugar Rush_ dudes probably burned those too. Please review!


End file.
